Cholera outbreak ravages Zimbabwe

For the past five months a wide outbreak of cholera has spread throughout Zimbabwe. With the country going through Mugabe's political turmoil, not much attention has been drawn to the safety of Zimbabweans. According to The Guardian, Mugabe himself publicly declared that Zimbabwe is "cholera-free" even though death tolls have risen to 1,780 as of January 2009. Since August of last year, the number of suspected cases has risen to 36,000 and will continue to increase as Zimbabwe's rainy season is in full bloom.

Cholera is an infectious bacterial disease that normally spreads through contaminated water. The bacteria (vibrio cholerae) manifests in the intestines, and after a period of time, causes symptoms that include severe diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, muscle cramps, dehydration, and shock. According to the Mayo Clinic website, the severity of the illness depends on how much bacteria is ingested. Those who are infected appear to be extremely thirsty, lethargic, have dry lips, low blood pressure, and sunken eyes. Dehydration from diarrhea and shock from a lack of oxygen reaching one's tissues are the fatal symptoms. The disease is more dangerous for infants and children as they are physically smaller and have less fluid in their bodies. Moreover, if not treated, cholera can kill in a matter of hours. The Mayo Clinic also says that even though there is an oral vaccine it has not been efficient, as time is needed for the drug to take effect. Rehydration, according to the Centers for Disease Control, "is the cornerstone of therapy for cholera; if administered in a timely manner and in adequate volumes will reduce fatality rates to well under 1%."

Jeanne Romilly, school nurse, believes "the current outbreak appears to be manmade." She states, "refugee populations fleeing war torn regions, or fleeing from inhospitable living conditions (drought, famine,etc.) find themselves without adequate clean drinking water, water to bathe in - or simply wash their hands in - and no sanitation to speak of. Food waste and human waste accumulates, then contaminates the water supply and it begins a vicious circle of disease." According to National Public Radio, years ago Zimbabwe once had the best sewage system in all of Africa, but because of its failing infrastructure under Mugabe's presidency, not only does the system cease to function but healthcare is not available to those who need it. "Zimbabweans are fleeing to South Africa simply to access medical treatment, and the situation in the rural area is dire," she says.

As awful as the situation sounds, students and teachers of our school (and others) can help the people of Zimbabwe. Francoise Remington, French teacher, founded a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to improving the lives of child laborers especially through education. When asked what students can do to help victims of Zimbabwe she replied, "we could have a bake sale to help a poor child and her mother." Even though her non-governmental organization, Forgotten Children, does not work in Zimbabwe, if students were dedicated enough to contact a local organization, money could be sent. Doctors Without Borders (DWB) is another organization that is successfully fighting against cholera in Zimbabwe. DWB's statistics prove that less cases of cholera rise from their project areas, but end up spreading to small towns, villages, and other rural places thus making management of the disease harder. However, money for Zimbabwe can be directly sent through Doctors Without Borders or other charities and if anyone feels like saving a life today, let the fundraising begin!